Improvement in processes and apparatus for the manufacture of illuminating or



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THADDEUS S. O. LOWE, OF NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

. IMPROVEMENT IN PROCESSES AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OFILLUMINATING 0R HEATING GAS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 161,847, datedSeptember 21, 1875; application filed March 10, 187 5.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, THADDEUS S. O. LOWE, of N orristown, Montgomerycounty, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Processes andApparatus for Producing and Using Hydrocarbon .and other Gas for Heatingand Illuminating Purposes, and other purposes, of which the following isa specification:

In the annexed drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure1 represents a vertical section of the complete apparatus, and Fig. 2 aplan of the same.

a is the primary gas-generator, which consists of a casing, b, made ofboiler-iron, or other suitable material, and lined with firebricks c, orother suitable refractory materials. d is a superheater, for preparingsteam for decomposition. This also consists of a casing of iron or othersuitable material, lined with fire-bricks or other suitable refractorymaterials e, the lDClOSBk]. space being filled with loosely-laidfire-bricks, or other suitable refractory materials, resting on aperforated At the bottom of the superheater d is a combustion-chamber,g. h is a tight-fitting valve, to be raised or lowered at pleasure. i isa heat-restorer, which forms the stack for carrying off the products ofcombustion. This consists of an ordinary iron stack of increaseddimension, with beads j at top and bottom, in which heads are insertedordinary boiler tubes. k is a tube through which there is forced intothe stack i atmospheric air, which circulates around the tubes in saidstack, and issues out at the lower end of the stack in a heatedcondition, thence passing through tube Z to support combustion ingenerator at, and in the com bust-ion-chamher {1 of the superheater d. mis an elevated tank for holding petroleum or other hydrocarbon oils. Thetank m is supported by a column, (not shown,) or in any convenientmanner. a is a hopper, provided with a close- 1y -'fitting bell or conevalve, 0, and also a closely-fitting lid, p. q is a tube for conveyinggas from generator at to the boiler 1, which is an upright tubularboiler, with chambers s and t at top and bottom, respectively. at is atube for conveying gases from chamber t to the washer o. w is adiaphragm, forming an inclined plane in the Washer 12. This inclinedplane should be rough or corrugated on its under side. a: is a tube forconveying gases from washer o. g is an ordinary gas-scrubber, filledwith coke or other suitable materials. 2 is a tube for conveying gasesinto holder at, or other points of storage, or directly to any place ofconsumption. b is a well for catching condensed oils or tar, should anyexist after leaving the generator. 0 is a tank for holding petroleum orother hydrocarbon oils, and d is a pump for forcing the same, asrequired, into the elevated tank m. e is a closely-fitting valve, to beraised or lowered at pleasure for regulating the flow of carbonic oxidethrough the pipe f into the combustionchamber g. The generator a is alsoprovided with a closely-fitting door, (not shown in the drawing,)communicating with the ash-pit 9.

When it is desired to put this apparatus into operation, I build a fireon the grate-bars.

in generator a, the valves 0 and it being raised to allow of the freees'capeof the products of combustion through the open brick-work insuperheater d, and up through the tubes in the heat-restoring stack 1'.

I now gradually introduce into generator at 'anydesired solidcarbonaceous substances,

preferring either anthracite or bituminous coals, beside which, however,may be mentioned any kind of wood, all kinds of woody rubbish,finely-cut straw, coal-dust or slack, asphaltum, &c.

In the meantime a fan-blower or other suitble apparatus is caused toforce air through the tube 70 into the heat-restorer i, from which asufficient quantity of warmed or heated air is admitted through thetubes '1 and h to cause moderate combustion on the grate-bars of thegas-generator a. As the thickness of fuel increases in generator at, andwhile it is being brought into an incandescent state, the carbonic acidwhich is caused by the union of oxygen and carbon, at the bottom of thegen-.

erator, while passing up through the thickness of incandescent. fuel,becomes recarbonized, and is thus converted into carbonic oxide.

This highly-inflammable gas, in union with the sulphur of the coal andother impurities STATES PATENT Qrrron.

' The forms of apparatus which may be used in carrying out myabove-described processes are various, and I have-prepared many drawingsof modified forms of apparatus for-carry,- ing out said process; .but Iprefer "the form shown, it being in every respect simple and easy ofmanagement.

Instead of employing oil in thecarbonizing process, as above described,other substances containing volatile carbon may be employed, such asrich bituminous coal, rosin, cottonseed, ordinary coal-tar, asphaltum,fats of all kinds, residuum from oil-refineries, 8w. Care, however,should be taken when using any kind of solid carbon, that the same isevenly spread on the top surface of the heated fuel or material in thegenerator at, in such a manner that the hot gases, while emerging fromthe top of said hot fuel, will come in contact.

with such solid or lumpy carbon, and thereby assist in itsvolatilization.

In case of using bituminous coal, it would be desirable to use someadditional volatile carbon oil, to add to the hydrogen being generatedfrom the steam.

If impure carbons are used for carbonizing the hydrogen, the usualpurifiers will be necessary; but when petroleum and other pure carbonsare employed, a purifier is not required.

In many cases it will be found advantageous to admit the steam(preferably highly heated) through pipe m at the bottom of generator a,causing it to pass up through the incandescent coals and mingle with thecarbon gas in the top of the generator, as before described, and then topass the mixed mass through connecting-flue f to the bottom ofsuperheater d, and up through the mass of heated brick-work thereincontained, and to be discharged through opening a at the top ofsuperheater d, from which opening the gases may be conveyed to thewasher 12, either directly or after having been previously passedthrough the boiler 1", for the purpose of utilizing its heat in thegeneration of steam, or after having been employed for superheatingsteam or air, or both.

The principal advantage gained by passing the mass of gases fromgenerator a through the highlyheated fire-bricks in the superheater d,is a more thorough decomposition of the elements which, having beenpassed up through the incandescent coal in the generator for too long atime, might contain considerable undecomposed vapor, which would beconverted into a fixed gas by being'subjected to a higher heat, such asthe superheater contains.

When it is desired to superheat the steam preparatory to itsdecomposition, and at the same time carry on the process of morepermanently fixing the mixed gases evolved in the generator, it isnecessary to use, in connection with the generator, two of the chambersdescribed as superheater d-to wit, one for the superheating of thesteam, and the other for the fixing of the gases, both chambustion of aportion of the gases from generw ator a, and, in this case, the mixedgases from r the generator, instead of being led off to and through thetubes of boiler a", as described, or,

instead ofbeing led off from the genera-tor directly to the washer, arefirst passed through the additional chamber or superheater last abovereferred to.

The heat-restorer c' may, instead of serving to heat the air-blast, asbefore described, be used as a boiler for generating steam, and mayeither remain in its present position, or be set adjacent to thesuperheater, where the hot products of combustion may be conveyed to itin the proper manner.

In cases where gas extremely rich in carbon is desired, the same will bebest produced by omitting the steam and generating the gas from oilsalone, using the generator it either. alone or in conjunction with thesuperheater.

I claim 1. For the manufacture of illuminating and heating gas, theprocess which consists of dropping or otherwise admitting in limitedquantities, continuously or intermittently, hydrocarbon oils or othercarbonaceous substances, liquid or solid, onto the top of a thick massof coal or other carbonaceous substance, in a state of incandescence, ina close chamber previously heated'by direct internal combustionflwith orwithout the introduction of steam, and then, for the purpose ofsuperheating and fixing the gases of said chamber, passing them fromsaid chamber into and through a second chamber, which also hasbeenpreviously heated by direct internal combustion, substantially asset forth.

2. The process for producing an illuminating-gas, which consists ofsuperheating steam, by passing it through a chamber previously heated bydirect internal combustion, then causing said steam to pass through amass of coal or other carbonaceous substance, in a state ofincandescence, in a close generatingchamber, to decompose the steam, andafterward, for the purpose of still further heating the gases of saidgenerating-chamber, and therebyproducing a more fixed gas, passing thegases from said generating-chamber into and through anothersuperheating-chamber, which has been previously heated by directinternal combustion, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the generator a, superheater d, theheat-restorerj, and means for forcing air through the pipe 70, aroundthe tubes of the heat-restorer '0', through pipes l, h, and j, into thechamber g, for generating and securing intense combustion in saidchamber g, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the generator a, superheater d, heat-restorer i,elevated oil-tank m, the upright tubular boiler r, with their severalconnecting-pipes and other appurtenant parts, as described, constitutingapparatus for rapidly evolving illuminating-gas, and fixing the same inits gaseous condition, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the generator a, superheater d, heat-restorer t,elevated oil-tank m, upright tubular boiler r, wash-box a, scrubber y,with their several connecting-pipes and other appurtenant parts, asdescribed, constituting apparatus for rapidly evolving illuminating andheating gas, fixing the same in its gaseous condition, and purifying thesame preparatory to storage or immediate use, substantially as setforth.

T. S. O. LOWE.

Witnesses R. B. SANDERSON, Tnos. A. BURTT.

W. S. MARTIN.

Fog-Signals.

N0, I67,848, Patented Sept.21,l875.

W'TNESSES. I 2/:zt%@

N. PETERS, PHDTO-LITHOGRAPNER. WASHINGTON. D. C.

